Meet Haley Edwards | Esthetician & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Haley Edwards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haley, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
Wow, what a big question… I am originally from Murphy, North Carolina, but I moved to Sylvania, Georgia in middle school where I stayed until I graduated high school. I originally planned on going to college (which I did go for three years) for sociology in hopes of becoming a social worker. I started a job right out of high school with a company that I planned on working just as a receptionist but ended up being trained and licensed as an esthetician. A little background on why I wanted to do social work originally is because I was raised in foster homes for the majority of my childhood/teenage years.. I knew I wanted to have an impact on peoples lives as I was growing up because I never felt like life was handed to me on a silver platter, sometimes it felt even less than being handed life on a paper plate because of the battles I faced as a child. I knew that ultimately my goal would be to make people feel better about themselves because of the way I used to be made to feel about myself. I started working as a receptionist at said business and the girls that were actually working on the clients were so inspiring to me because they were able to make people feel so good and beautiful after leaving their service room, so I was happy to begin my training and be a part of those moments. I started working on clients in 2016 and began to feel like I was empowering other women and men and pushing them to feel more worthy and beautiful. I felt like the time I spent with each and every client their day was positively impacted and ultimately that was always my goal even with social work. Being an esthetician I am able to council and help people without having to carry the burden of making a decision for them and their life but just being a listening ear and a voice of reason, all while giving them a service that would make them feel pretty and rejuvenated. I started to feel extremely rushed and overwhelmed in the business I used to work for so I ended up venturing out on my own in 2021. I wanted to cater more to clients who needed to unwind, relax, and have a more personalized experience during their service so that they could express what they wanted and I could work on them based on their preferences. I also wanted to dedicate more time to clients because they spend a big chunk of time when they are being waxed or whatever other service they are getting with me they are venting and releasing so much stress on their plate and I feel like I am able to help them in a way that I know we all need. So my upbringing impacted me to be a serving, caring, empathetic, and sympathetic person in a field where people are already trying to feel better but in a much deeper way than your usual waxing experience because they get a shoulder to lean on.
 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an esthetician and I operate my own studio. I specialize in brow waxing/tinting/brow lamination and Brazilian waxing/Brazilian treatments for men and women. I would say I set myself apart because I work on clients based on what is best for their skin and what would look best based on what they have to work with as far as hair. I also set myself apart because I work in a manner that is an experience rather than just getting in there and out of there I direct my attention to my clients emotional needs as well as their beauty needs. I take my time and give them my opinion on things that would be in their best interest if they are asking for something that wouldn’t look good on them or something that may look better. I am so excited to eventually grow into a bigger business where I will have employees who have the same skills and level of care for their clients as I do so we can conquer more in the community.
I feel like I am where I am today because I trusted my work to speak for itself when I stepped out on my own and I knew people would speak highly of me if I did the job they wanted done in the manner they wanted it done. And today that has gotten me so far and I am beyond proud of what I have accomplished and overcome in such a short amount of time. Nothing has been easy, building a business is truly the hardest thing I have ever done all the while my personal life has been in shambles along the way. My work is my safe place so I am thankful for it because it gives me a reason and a purpose to be proud and operate everyday. I think the hardest thing is continuing to be on top of the back end of the business like the ordering, budgeting, and scheduling but other than those things it has been rewarding and semi easy going.
When people think of me and my business I want people to realize that no matter their circumstances, that life is what you make it and you can do anything you set your mind to because WE are the deciders of our own life and it’s outcome. Life is so scary and so many unexpected things can be thrown our way but we just have to keep it going and keep up our hard work especially in business building.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So, I live in Statesboro, Georgia which is where my business is as well. This little tiny town does not have much to offer as far as a fun itinerary, but there are a few places and things that could be interesting. I would first take someone to Del Sur for brunch, lunch or dinner, they have the best food and the atmosphere is phenomenal. I would also take them to gnats for karaoke night and dinner/drinks, very fun and diverse place. One day I would take them to Savannah for a day/night out because who doesn’t love Savannah and all the things it has to offer. Another day I would take someone bowling at the ClubHouse in Statesboro, it’s full of fun and they have putt putt which is always a good time. Maybe take someone to a tormenta soccer game which is an amazing experience. I would take them for coffee to Three Tree Coffee Roasters, it’s amazing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people deserve a shoutout for helping me become who I am today, I don’t even know where to start. I think my biggest shoutout would be to my mom who no matter how small or big my ideas are, she is so supportive and tries to cheer me on. My mom has always been someone on my side because I think she feels like she has to make up for the things she didn’t do as I was growing up. If I was to call my mom right now and say I want to become an astronaut she would be like okay go for it and for that I am so grateful. I also would have to shoutout my son because he has been the whole reason that I wanted to do more. I want to be able to provide for him in a way that I was lacking when I was a child and so my every effort now in life is to create a cushion of a life and give him all the things he deserves and needs without question. I don’t know where I would be without his little smile and his little wishes, he ultimately keeps me going. This first year of business has been so hard because of keeping my personal life afloat while I also run a business that I plan to grow and build a life that is full and financially stable.
I’d also life to shoutout one of my good friends who taught me so much in the waxing field, Brooke LeMaster. She has been a friend to me from the moment I started working with my old job, up until now I feel if I ever needed anything I could call on her. She is a friend that regardless of her life problems, she is there for others. I hope she knows to this day that she has positively impacted my life and I hope one day I can repay her in the support she gave me.

Website: https://browandbrazilian.glossgenius.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/haley_danie?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw==

Image Credits
Cedric Bacon Photography